I'm looking to phase out jeans; one, I have been gaining and losing weight and though it's only a few pounds, it all goes to my thighs and my jeans give me problems. I bought a pair of jeans I wore (practically) every day and now they have a hole where the denim wore through in a spot I really wish they wouldn't. I will still get a pair, finally, but they're sooo expensive once I find a brand that fits my proportions (Hello, German family lineage).

I've been looking around and in stores, lots of leggings seem to be everywhere, from cheapo stores to designer boutiques. Since I am broke, I can't afford to buy something that isn't going to put me through a while of classes, through the seasons, and still look good. I am a bit of a tomboy and don't really pay mind to my outfits anymore than their functionality (which is why I feel so uncomfortable wearing dresses). I saw some on Karmaloop that are somewhat pricy, then others on blackmilk that are amazing but more costly, adorable Jeremy Scott leggings on random sites, and finally the ones on Asos and Boohoo. Those are the cheaper of the bunch and look like they would be worth a shot. Some things I would like to know:

Do your leggings pill between the legs? What sorts of fabrics should I avoid since they do that?Any experience with some of the brands above// some I haven't listed? Can you give me pointers? Do they wear thin? Are they as comfortable as they look or are some not so comfortable? Do they keep you warm?

One of my biggest fears is that while wearing them, since they'll fit tightly to my legs, that the seam will split when I'm walking around(hoooooooly craaappp). I have this awesome picture of me in my yard when I was a kid and my mom got me these awesome, good quality leggings from a dance store called Legs and Lace on Freshpond Rd. They're no longer there, but they were cool,and those leggings are reminding me how much I love leggings but it's been a while.

I have a bunch of different leggings from random places, and nowadays I just buy the cheap ones because I've found that pretty much all of them (even the more expensive ones) pill/rip eventually. I think the pilling is just a symptom of my thighs rubbing together, which I can't really avoid unless I lose a bunch of weight or duct tape them or something. Anyway, I've been getting plain, solid-colored leggings from places like Old Navy, Target, H&M and Forever 21 because they're all sub $10/pair. They all eventually rip at the seams after repeated washing, but I have yet to have a pair split while I was wearing them (and I am not super slim or anything). I would say that most of mine have lasted about a year before that happened though.

I don't have firsthand experience with any of the brands you mentioned, but regarding keeping you warm... I would say a single pair of leggings is suitable for fall weather, but in the dead of winter your legs will get cold. I have worn tights under my leggings to combat this. You can also get "fleece lined" leggings, which are supposedly a bit warmer. Like these.

Anyway, I wear leggings way more often than jeans, because they're a million times more comfortable.

I have a pair from Target which were cheap and they are kinda thin, but have not ripped yet. I don't wear them all that often though.

I also bought a pricier pair from Express and I love them. You can tell the quality is much better, they are super comfy and thicker than the Target brand. I live in LA, so cold here is not really all that cold so both of my pairs keep me warm.

Oh, one more thought about leggings... if you're in between sizes, go for the larger one! Since leggings are pretty stretchy they'll still be snug (unless you get a size that's WAY too big) and the fabric will be pulled less tight, so it will feel less thin. Plus you can be less worried about the seam splitting.

The fleece lined leggings and tights are so warm! I love them. Bought a pair at Fred Meyer here and they are going on year three now. I had to fix a hole in the toe part but I think I will get another season out of them. H&M leggings are a bit shiny for me. I like their tights though.

I think the best leggings are the American Apparel leggings. I believe they make them winter weight, but I've never felt the need to purchase them. You can buy a three pack and get a ten percent discount and then be set on leggings for a couple years.

Those are soooooo cute! I would totally wear those with a flannel (patterns=same size, right?)

Good to know about American Apparel's leggings, and then the fleece-lined ones even exist. Went into a few cheapo stores around by my school and found some of the worst ones that had 'spray painted' designs that didn't look comfortable or very cute, but I'm going to keep looking and just order some Asos ones for now, and get Target ones for the time being as well. Thanks for the heads up! All other advice is appreciated.

Joined: Wed Oct 20, 2010 2:20 pmPosts: 1093Location: Land of the First Kaiju

Yep, American Apparel is the route I go, too. I have the winter leggings - they still make 'em. It'll be way too cold in NY though to get by with just those and nothing else covering your legs, FYI. But by that point you'll be way too cold to give two shiitakes about how you look and will be willing to wear a quilt wrapped around yourself as long as it keeps you semi-thawed. I wear winter leggings underneath my jeans when I'm feeling particularly wimpy.

Do you wear leggings like you would jeans? I like the look of some leggings but I do not wear dresses or skirts so I am confused...

My inclination is that it is a faux pas to not cover your butt while wearing leggings. I know many disagree, but I just think the look is wayyy TMI if your butt isn't covered. Tunic length tops should be good if you don't like dresses.

This is semi-tangential, but I was looking up reviews for those American Apparel leggings on Amazon and elsewhere when I noticed that some of the American Apparel stuff on Amazon is marked down to crazy-cheap prices (including those exact leggings!) It's only specific colors/sizes for each style, so you have to play around with it a bit to find the cheap ones, but maybe it's worth looking at if you're in the market for some inexpensive leggings/tees/camis etc. Also you still get free shipping at $50 with AA even if you order through Amazon. :)

American Apparel thermal legging: Here (I was able to get size XL in purple for $5, you'd have to play around to see if there are others that cheap)

Did you see the note on the page about shrinkage? I was between sizes, so I just went with the larger one, but that note is making me wonder if I should've gone up another size.

I ordered the same size I always do. After reading the reviews I determined that since I don't have an asparagus this shouldn't be a problem. Fingers crossed.

Limone wrote:

This is semi-tangential, but I was looking up reviews for those American Apparel leggings on Amazon and elsewhere when I noticed that some of the American Apparel stuff on Amazon is marked down to crazy-cheap prices (including those exact leggings!) It's only specific colors/sizes for each style, so you have to play around with it a bit to find the cheap ones, but maybe it's worth looking at if you're in the market for some inexpensive leggings/tees/camis etc. Also you still get free shipping at $50 with AA even if you order through Amazon. :)

So I went to TJ Maxx today....tons of cute leggings - cord, thermal, jean look, lace inserts - all under $10. The ones I wanted were out of my size - even after looking around the store wishing for a bargain shopping fairy to hook me up!

I got those American Apparel thermal tights in the mail. It recommended ordering a size up because of shrinkage, so since I was between sizes, I just ordered the bigger one. I don't even think it was really necessary. My legs are bigger than most people's, and they were snug there, but there's plenty of space in the hips and waist, and they come up really high. This is after washing and drying once. At least they won't give me a muffin top.